Nfl

The NFL tweaked some of its rules Tuesday, making thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for players (starting in 2013) and pushing forward a pair of other changes involving the trade deadline and injured reserve. The rule involving thigh and knee padding for players is already being met with criticism by some players who argue that the bulky, additional padding slows them down without adding much protection . Vanity might also be a factor here for some opponents of the rule change, specifically those flashy wide receivers and defensive backs.

The NFL tweaked some of its rules Tuesday, making thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for players (starting in 2013) and pushing forward a pair of other changes involving the trade deadline and injured reserve. The rule involving thigh and knee padding for players is already being met with criticism by some players who argue that the bulky, additional padding slows them down without adding much protection . Vanity might also be a factor here for some opponents of the rule change, specifically those flashy wide receivers and defensive backs.

 

A day after making a handful of roster additions and cuts, the Ravens announced on Wednesday that they had released fullback Chad Diehl, an undrafted free agent who had participated in the team's rookie minicamp over the weekend. No reason for the move was given, but Diehl shed a little light on it on his Facebook page. “At rookie mini-camp this past weekend I suffered another concussion,” Diehl said via the Spartanburg Herald Journal (S.C.) . “With this concussion happening so soon after the concussion I had in January at the Senior Bowl it left many people concerned including family, doctors, and myself about my health and future if I were to continue playing.

Live Ravens draft chat with Matt Vensel and Chris Korman

I know that I probably will, or at least should, burn in hell for thinking, much less saying it, but isn't the NFL's "pink" campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer becoming a bit tiresome? The sentiment is admirable, but haven't they gone a little over the top? The money spent on pink caps, shoes, chinstraps, do-rags, etc. would be of much more benefit if donated directly to the cause. Dave Reich, Perry Hall

Given the recent crackdown on contract hits, as noted in "Sins of the Saints" (March 22) and other player run-ins with the law, perhaps the acronym NFL refers to the National Felons League. Dennis R. McCartney, Baltimore

Deciding how to split up $9 billion in revenues is the biggest obstacle in gaining a new collective bargaining agreement for the NFL, but not the only one. These are the two other contentious issues: Expanded, 18-game regular season: Owners want to convert two unattractive — but full-priced — preseason games into regular-season paydays. Among the concessions they'll have to consider are increasing the roster, reducing the amount of contact players are allowed in practice, and enhancing the post-career healthcare package.

The new rule that the National Football League has just instituted that a defensive player cannot launch himself (feet must stay on the ground) while making a tackle is wonderful, but it falls a little short. Here is a list of other changes that need to be added to the NFL rulebook immediately. Have you seen the size and speed of the modern day defensive ends? When they come around the corner and slam into the quarterback, it is much too violent. The league now, without hesitation, should institute a new rule that when rushing a quarterback they must hop on one leg. Now, to be fair about this, the two offensive tackles must play on their knees.

After nearly an hour of buildup Tuesday morning, the NFL and Nike -- the apparel company which has replaced Reebok as the league's official apparel supplier -- revealed new uniforms for each of the 32 NFL teams at an event in New York City. Seconds later, those images were transmitted out into the blogosphere. So what changes were eager, fashion-forward Ravens fans treated to? A swoosh and a collective yawn . As expected, there were no major changes made to the team's new Nike uniforms.

The Ravens may lack experience at the wide receiver position, but they certainly don't lack depth. How much quality exists within that depth remains to be seen. The Ravens' roster currently includes 13 wide receivers, but nine of them have never caught a pass in an NFL game. Only two of them - Anquan Boldin and the recently-signed Jacoby Jones - have played for more than one season. Seven of them were undrafted and none of them were taken in the first round. That's why when training camp starts in mid-July, the battle to secure one of the final one or two wide receiver spots might be one of the most hotly-contested competitions in camp.

UPDATE: I just received an email response from Cam Weber, GM of American Football for EA Sports. He writes: “In order to depict the seriousness of concussions, when a player is injured in a Madden NFL game, they will be tended to by the medical staff and then escorted off the field. If the injury is determined to be a possible concussion, the player will not be permitted back into the game. Madden NFL has been used to help teach the sport of football to several generations in regards to the rules and complexities of the sport.

Joe Flacco was mocked by media and fans last month when he said that he thinks of himself as the NFL's best quarterback . “I wouldn't be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way,” the Ravens quarterback explained. But on Wednesday night, we learned that many of Flacco's peers think pretty highly of him. Flacco landed at No. 74 on the NFL Network's annual top 100 players list , which is selected by NFL players themselves. Now they clearly didn't agree with the notion that he's the NFL's best quarterback -- NFL.com says that 10 quarterbacks will be ranked ahead of him -- but he moved up 16 spots from last year's list.

Rico Wallace has already made history. Now it's just a matter of making the team. When the Meade alum signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent on Sunday, he became the first ever from his college, Division III Shenandoah University, to do so. The wide receiver is one of at least five former high school players from the Baltimore area who have signed with NFL teams following last weekend's draft. Despite coming from a small school, Wallace impressed scouts by running a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at James Madison University's Pro Day after making 67 catches for 1,241 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior year at Shenandoah.

For the first time in a decade, the Ravens last weekend drafted three players from college football programs that were below the Division I FBS (formerly I-A) level. As Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta put it, the Ravens “had to manufacture some runs this year” because the team's draft board was similar to those of the NFL's 31 other teams and 147 of their top 150 players were selected. But Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome also said the team's selection of Delaware center/guard Gino Gradkowski, South Carolina State safety Christian Thompson and Cal Poly cornerback Asa Jackson was reflective of the organization placing more of an emphasis on scouting smaller schools for talent.

The Great RG3 Heist Ron Fritz Baltimore Sun He cost them three first-round picks and a second-round pick, but the Redskins got the biggest steal when they traded up to No. 2 to select quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Redskins — the Redskins! — actually did something right in the draft. And in the process they made Browns President Mike Holmgren look like exactly what he is — a decent football coach but no front-office genius. Some will say it's not a steal when you give up that much to move up, but it was exactly that — a steal.

I have serious doubts if players and their families can truly rely upon the league to provide the protection that players are entitled to ("Heads-up on concussions," editorial, July 30). While the league should be commended for their poster and attempts to educate players on the long-term consequences of concussions, the true test of the league's commitment to the health of their players will be how they ultimately respond to players who develop long-term disabilities following any type of brain injury.

NFC is closing the gap Ethan Skolnick Sun Sentinel You can't argue with the numbers. The AFC is 7-2 in the last nine Super Bowls, and was 37-27 in interconference play this season. Still, there are signs of a shift. Look at the playoff teams, and specifically, the third through sixth seeds. The Cowboys, Cardinals, Packers and Eagles? Or the Patriots, Bengals, Jets and Ravens? I'd take the NFC quartet. The disparity in the interconference numbers was largely due to one division per conference: the AFC South went 12-4 and the NFC West went 4-12.

Finding an outside linebacker wasn't necessarily viewed as the Ravens' top priority heading into this week's draft, but when they got set to make the 35 th overall selection Friday, they couldn't resist adding another potential impact defensive player and a pass-rushing complement to Terrell Suggs. Temporarily ignoring their needs on the offensive line, the Ravens made linebacker Courtney Upshaw, a defensive standout on an Alabama team that won the national championship last season, their first selection of the 2012 draft.

Here's a look at media coverage of the Ravens, who traded out of the first round of the NFL draft, sending the 29th overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the 35th overall pick (the third pick in the second round) and the 98th pick (early in the fourth round). * NFL.com's Bucky Brooks thinks the Ravens will pick Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin in the second round of the draft . Ozzie Newsome should tab Martin as the eventual successor to Bryant McKinnie at left tackle despite concerns regarding the Stanford tackle's temperament and effort.